Pentagon officials on Friday said that the United States commander, who ordered the use of "mother of all bombs" to attack an Islamic State (ISIS) stronghold in Afghanistan, did not need US President Donald Trump's approval to set off the massive bomb.
Nangarhar provincial spokesman Attaullah Khogiani told CNN about the latest report.
The exact death toll is unclear, with one Afghan official quoting the number as 92, and another claiming 90 people were killed.
On Thursday night, a GBU-43/B Massive Ordinance Air Blast bomb (MOAB), capable of destroying an area equivalent to nine city blocks, was dropped on a network of fortified underground tunnels ISIS had been using to stage attacks on government forces. Afghan officials had earlier said the bombing had killed 36 IS fighters, adding that there there were "no military and civilian casualties at all".
The 30 feet long MOAB is an improved replacement for the unguided 15,000-pound BLU-82 Daisy Cutter bomb which was widely used in previous conflicts, most notably the Vietnam War.The weapon produces a tremendous explosion which is effective against hard-target entrances, soft-to-medium surface targets, clearing tunnels and caves and anti-personnel purposes.
The US estimates 600 to 800 IS fighters are present in Afghanistan, mostly in Nangarhar.
"The GBU-43/B has been in the USA arsenal for more than 14 years, deployed to bases in the Middle East where it could be loaded aboard an American aircraft but never used until now".
"Still, from a strategic standpoint, there is an unsettling takeaway here: The US pulled off a huge shock and awe mission against an enemy that isn't even the top threat to the US in Afghanistan".
"This was the right weapon for the right target", said U.S. Gen. John W. Nicholson, NATO commander in Afghanistan, at a news conference.
Local district chief Mohammad Ismail Shinwari said no civilian casualties were inflicted because civilians in the area of the bombing had been evacuated by the Afghan military.
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The suicide bombers and the VBIED were eliminated in an airstrike conducted by the United States forces based in Afghanistan, the police commandment said.
Thursday's strike came as US President Donald Trump dispatches his first high-level delegation to Kabul, amid uncertainty about his plans for the almost 9,000 American troops stationed in Afghanistan.
The Site Intelligence Group, which tracks extremist organizations, reported Friday on a statement from the Afghan Taliban that condemned the USA for its "terrorist" attack.
Nicholson said the bomb was meant to eliminate the militants' sanctuary in southern Nangarhar, "and this weapon was very effective in that use".
Afghan President Ashraf Ghani said he approved of the strike, and it was created to support Afghan and U.S. forces conducting clearance operations in the region.
No civilians were killed in the explosion, said an official.
"Ultimately the deal has to be made between the Taliban and the Afghan government and civil society, and it has to be some sort of enduring peace, and the regional powers, particularly Pakistan, have to be brought in", Goodfellow said.
The region butts up against the porous Pakistan border. The U.S. has concentrated on fighting them while also supporting Afghan forces against the Taliban.
According to the US Air Force, a MOAB costs about $170,000 to build.
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